After another competition, contestant number 44 had once again stayed behind, this time he was no longer number 44 but rather, number 20.
contestants were eliminated, leaving only 20.
Little Taotie fluttered like a dancing butterfly among the 20 remaining contestants.
This round of the competition required the 20 contestants to prepare a dish they were skilled at making.
Some made lobster, others made small shrimp.
Some made fish slices in pickled sauce, while others chose sour cabbage fish slices.
The 20 contestants showcased their divine skills in their own unique ways.
Little Taotie stopped in front of a chef from Yunnan, "What is this?"
The chef smiled gently, "It’s bugs."
Little Taotie looked at his gentle smile and then at a box of squirming fat little bugs.
The chef heated the oil in the wok, asking, "Dare to try it?"
Little Taotie hesitated.
With a sizzle, they went into the hot oil.
The bugs were fried until fragrant.
Little Taotie slurped her saliva, "I really want to eat it!"
The chef picked up a pair of chopsticks, which was sort of bending the rules.
Little Taotie couldn’t wait and opened her mouth wide, like a small bird waiting to be fed.
The chef fed her the crispy, fragrant fried bugs.
Little Taotie chewed rapidly, her eyes growing brighter, dazzled by surprise.
She remembered an episode from "Pastoral Life" that had been banned, where Teacher Beibei really enjoyed eating bugs, but Teacher Beibei had eaten them uncooked.
Seeing the young girl’s sparkling eyes, the chef hesitated, then asked, "Want more?"
Little Taotie nodded emphatically.
One was feeding, the other opened her mouth wide in anticipation.
After several exchanges, a dozen crispy fried bugs were gone.
There was originally just one plate, and now half of it was gone.
The chef hurriedly shouted, "That’s all, that’s all, you can’t eat any more!"
Little Taotie looked at him with longing eyes.
The chef closed his eyes, sternly saying, "There are no more, really no more!"
Fearing his own soft heart might not save even half a plate, the chef quickly called over a beautiful woman in a cheongsam to carry the dish to the judges.
Little Taotie blinked and blinked again, her eyes reddening at the corners, her expression was pitiful beyond words.
There was still half a plate, yet all of it was taken to the judges!
The beautiful woman in the cheongsam felt a little pity and reminded, "You’re also a judge, hurry back to your seat, you’ll get your share too."
Little Taotie’s eyes lit up, happily exclaiming, "Thank you, sister!"
Like a butterfly gracefully flying, Little Taotie returned to the judges’ table and didn’t come down again.
After all, those daring to eat bugs were in the minority; out of eight judges, only two were willing to try it, Ji Guang and the crosstalk comedian Teacher Li.
Including Little Taotie, only three tasted the bugs.
The other five, regardless of how the producers coaxed or pressured them, simply would not budge.
Finally, with no other choice, the producer proposed that they rate the dish only on its color and fragrance, as the show had to go on and they needed to score for the competition.
The five were still willing to reluctantly sniff the fragrance more and observe the appearance.
Little Taotie was very happy, as no one was competing with her for the fried bugs.
Teacher Li just wanted to taste, so he took only one piece, while Ji Guang amused himself by teasing the young girl. He probably took three pieces, as expected, seeing the girl’s pouting lips, she looked upset but didn’t complain.
Teacher Li closed his eyes, put the fried bug into his mouth, and then vehemently refused, as if he feared the bugs were not completely dead and tried to crush them with his teeth.
The more he chewed, the more fragrant it became!
Teacher Li was extremely surprised by the texture!
It was like... chicken butt meat wrapped in a soft shell.